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Vulgarity Of The Verb To Write

 
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SmoothOperator
Just Starting


Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:25 am    Post subject: Vulgarity Of The Verb To Write Reply with quote

For yesterday's Russian I learned some irregular conjugations. Interesting is the Russian verb писать. There is a footnote on that verb, and this is what the footnote reads: "Be careful: if you stress this infinitive incorrectly, i.e., on the first syllable, it has a completely different and vulgar meaning. (The conjugated forms are not a porblem, as it is conjugated differently.)"

I know how to pronounce and conjugate писать, but what does писать mean? Apparently my book does not say. What does it mean, and how do you conjugate the vulgar form?
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wavetossed
WayToRussified


Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 339

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know the verb "to pee/to piss" from spoken Russian but not from written.

The infinitive form sounds like pisit' to me or maybe pisyat' with the stress on the first syllable.

pisayu
pisaesh'
pisaet
pisaem

The forms for "to write" use sh to sound different.
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AntoMax
Frequent Guest


Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Posts: 48
Location: Matrix

PostPosted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What wavetossed said Rolling Eyes

LoL funny that you mention that...
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charles
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 180
Location: USA

PostPosted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It would be very bad to confuse "I write to you" with "I piss on you"!! Smile
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Stanislav
Frequent Guest


Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 25
Location: St. Petersburg

PostPosted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indeed, this verb often causes problems to beginners, not only in the infinitive. The thing is that it is usually one of the first verbs that beginners learn, and they tend to conjugate it in the same way as "igrat'" or "znat'". Than indeed it means about the same as hte similar sounding English verb: pissat' / piss. In fact, they both seem to come from the same Proto-European root.
Imagine saying "Yesterday I spent all day writing" - Vchera ya ves' den' pisal" with the wrong stress!
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